The present invention relates to apparatus for delivering cigarettes, filter rod sections or other rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products from a maker (e.g., a filter rod making machine, a cigarette making machine or a filter tipping machine) to a consuming or processing machine which may constitute a filter tipping machine, a pneumatic sender which delivers rod-shaped articles to the magazine or magazines of one or more further processing machines, or a packing machine. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus which comprise a variable-capacity article-storing device or reservoir, especially a surge bin, for temporary storage of articles which are produced while the consuming machine is idle or while the consuming machine is operated at less than full speed so that it cannot accept the entire output of the producing machine.
It was already proposed bo convey rod-shaped articles which are turned out by a producing machine to a consuming machine (e.g., to the magazine of a packing machine for plain or filter tipped cigarettes) along a first path which extends directly from the outlet of the producing machine to the magazine of the consuming machine, or along a second path a portion of which is defined by a surge bin to allow for temporary storage of the surplus. Under normal circumstances, the magazine receives articles along the first path. When the consuming machine is idle or is operated at less than normal speed, the articles are fed into the second path and enter the surge bin to be evacuated from the surge bin and fed to the magazine as soon as the consuming machine is capable to accept articles, when the consuming machine is operated while the producing machine is idle or when the requirements of the consuming machine exceed the output of the producing machine.